All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
This is Highly Recommend, a column dedicated to what people in the food industry are obsessed with eating, drinking, and buying right now.
I’ve always had a soft spot for sour things. As a kid, I snacked on lemon wedges, horrifying my parents and dentists alike. I’ve since stopped for the sake of my enamel and digestive system, but I still use an abundance of acidic ingredients in everything I cook. No pot of chickpeas is complete without a good squeeze of lemon; no dipping sauce is perfect until some rice vinegar joins the party. I’ve amassed a small collection of acidic ingredients, but lately I’ve ignored it for Pineapple Collaborative’s Apple Cider Vinegar.
This is my first real ACV crush. Despite its health halo and widespread availability, I rarely reached for the stuff. But Pineapple Collaborative’s ACV is the first I’ve tried that actually tastes like, well, apples, and that got me hooked. I suspect that’s because it’s “crafted in collaboration” with farmer Joanne Krueger of Little Apple Treats orchard in California’s Sonoma County. The vinegar is made by fermenting a blend of Krueger’s organic Gravenstein, Red Rome Beauty, Golden Delicious, and Pink Pearl apples.
Truly, this vinegar is potent stuff: Just a tablespoon or two is enough to wake up any dish with a jolt of bright, shimmering, sweet-and-sour fruitiness. I’ve made countless quick weeknight salad dressing by shaking up a few tablespoons with Dijon mustard, olive oil, and a bit of honey. But I’ve also added a splash to mellow out saccharine homemade jam, stirred it into weekly batches of acidic green sauce, and shot it back straight as a DIY wellness shot. The world is my oyster and I’m going to keep spiking it with vinegar forever...or at least until I drain the bottle.